Grimm Curiosities by Sharon Lynn Fisher is a beautifully atmospheric novel that effortlessly blends dark fantasy with a touch of romance and mystery. From the start, the world-building drew me in—richly detailed with a Victorian-era setting full of intrigue, supernatural elements, and a chilling, wintery backdrop that gave the entire story a haunting charm.
One of the book's standout features is the sweet romance that runs through it, delicate but heartwarming, and offering a fairy-tale-like quality amidst the darker elements. It felt like the perfect balance—capturing the enchantment of a love story while not overshadowing the intrigue of the supernatural plot.
That said, while I thoroughly enjoyed Grimm Curiosities, there were moments where I felt the pacing lagged slightly, especially in the middle where the story took a more introspective turn. However, the captivating world and the compelling characters made it easy to push through, and I was hooked by the end.
Overall, Grimm Curiosities is an engaging, magical read that combines gothic elements with romance and mystery. If you love atmospheric settings and supernatural intrigue with a touch of holiday magic, this book is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you NetGalley and 47North!

When I requested this ARC I did not realize that it was a , I did not realize that it was a story loosely based on the real origins of Christmas/Yule.
This is a cozy mystery about Lizzy's difficulties in 1851 to keep her father's shop open while caring for her mother. This simple plot moves at a good pace and there is some mystery even though the ending did seem to be given in the first part of the book. The mystery is what makes this a unique story.

Thanks for the opportunity !

Eliza "Lizzy" Grimm inherited a shop and everything in it from her eccentric father after he passed. Little did she know that it was going to be a beginning of the worst part of her life, but then lead to the best (as far as the story goes),

Though the story had a subplot of that revolved around yuletide folklore and spirits set during Christmas time in York, England. I loved the ideas that the author was coming up with around the folklore and how it was portrayed in the story. I just really wished it would have been heavier on the paranormal part as I feel that it would have brought this book to 5 stars if it was expanded on instead of being used to bring the ML and FL together and to keep the book going forward.

Which were the main crux of my issue with the book lies. I would consider this a Historical romance with a dash of paranormal and folk lore. It was, at its center a romance between a poor shop girl and a Lord's son. I was expecting more gothic fantasy and got more of a Regency romance which really isn't what I was expecting and definitely not what I was wanting. If the reader is interested in those types of books or expecting those books, then this would be right up their ginnel.

The book was easy to read and didn’t have any flowy prose which was a nice change to many other books. The dual POV was kept to a minimum which raises its star rating in my mind as well. It was a fun read and I am glad I gave it a chance.

I would recommend reading this around yule time to get the best out of the atmosphere, and if you liked her other book Salt and Broom to give this one a try as well.

This story is told in alternating first person by Lizzy and Antony. Lizzy is doing her best to run her late father’s antique shop in 1851 York but always struggling to make the rent and put food on the table. After the death of her father, Lizzy’s mother made extra money working as a medium but was struck down with some sort of catatonic malady during a session and now needs round the clock care. Antony comes from a money and a titled family and after his mother’s death, his sister went into a similar state as Lizzy’s mother. Antony seeks out the medium to help his sister, unaware of their comparable conditions.

The antique shop is visited by a variety of customers, and one in particular is looking for a set of rare books that Lizzy remembers reading in her childhood. She eventually locates the set in the shop’s storage with a mysterious note from her father. The books are comprised of fairytales and various myths and folklore pertaining to subjects surrounding the solstice and yuletide such as The Wild Hunt and Krampus (that seems to be turning up in my seasonal reads a lot this year). Lizzy and Antony join forces to solve the mystery of the books and their respective relative’s maladies.

I found this story to be wonderfully atmospheric. The main characters were likable and easily relatable with a dash of irritating relatives, supportive friends and both dastardly and manipulative villains not to mention a cross-class romance. The setting of the antique shop was just the right touch of suspenseful and creepy. While the story takes place in December, I think this would be an enjoyable read during any winter months.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for a copy provided for an honest review.

Drawn to the story by the title, I was kept there by the characters and how different myths and legends were presented.

This was wonderful! I loved the writing style, the characters, the world-building…everything about it was top-notch. I will definitely be recommending this book!

A wintery tale of romance and mystery, where not everything is always as it seems.

Granted, I gave this book only 2 stars, but I strongly believe that is more of a “me” issue than anything else. The romance between the two leads was fine, and while I felt the ending to be a bit rushed and chaotic, overall I didn’t have much issue with this book in terms of storytelling.

However. Much of the reason I disliked this book is because, like seems to happen often, more than one potential romantic partner is introduced and I prefer them to the one chosen by the author. I knew going in who the romantic male lead was - we even have his point of view written for us! It’s obvious - and yet, I found him to be rather bland and lacking. He’s a fine choice as a romantic lead, but not when you’ve given me the option for a mysterious man of unknown motives who treats the main character openly well and respected, and is a more dynamic and interesting character overall.

Antony Carlisle is a fine choice, in theory, but my issues with him mostly stem with the fact that he never - until the very end of this book - tells Lizzy how he feels, and allows her to be disrespected by those around him. He is from a dramatically different social circle than her, and yet doesn’t seem to realize how negatively his actions would affect her status - especially since she is a woman, unmarried, and running the shop attempting to make ends meet. Instead, he - rather abruptly - decides he cares for her, and yet both never indicates to her his feelings in any conceivable way, either lies or omits details from her that make it seem like he doesn’t care about her, and doesn’t seem to care that the way he is treating her would make the general public believe she is promiscuous.

And while the other romantic lead is never really an option, I felt it a bit ridiculous how the author decided to make him not an option at all. I won’t spoil it, but the way that he was so violently removed from being a potential romantic partner was so shoe-horned in that it felt almost like it was included solely to force me to stop liking him more than the real romantic lead.

I felt the middle of this novel kind of wavered a bit, where as soon as Lizzy meets Carlisle she spends all her time pining over him - despite him never really doing anything to deserve this. She has, up until this point, been the one keeping food on the table and caring for her mother, but the second a man shows up starts fantasizing about being taken care of and cannot focus on work. Okay, I guess.

The mystery was also really quickly ended, and kind of poorly thought out. Really, once Lizzy finds out one single thing she is then given a letter that essentially solves everything for her, and then a bunch of really wild and unconnected things happen and now the book is over and everything is perfect.

I do think this book could be a fun read for anyone not irritated that the objectively better choice of a male romantic lead was so violently shoved in the corner to make way for the most boring man in existence. Romance authors need to stop giving me options if they want me to like the man they’ve chosen for the main character, in my opinion. However, if - unlike me - you don’t generally choose the more dynamic and interesting character, I think you’ll like the romance enough to ignore the strange and abrupt way this book resolves its central mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for providing this e-ARC.

Grimm Curiosities is a historical supernatural Christmas romantasy set in mid-nineteenth century York, England. After her father's sudden passing from diabetes and her mother falling catatonic after a seance, Lizzy Grimm runs the family curio store on her own. As Lizzy struggles to make ends meet and repay her family's mounting debts, she encounters two men who will change her life forever Ambrose Stoke and Antony Carlisle, in this novel that is part ghost story, part mystery, and romance, Lizzy must save her family, her livelihood, and her heart's desire, all before Christmas.

It's a sweet and kinda cosy read with a hint of mystery to keep things interesting. I loved the tidbits of folklore. A great holiday read.

I reccomend you give this one a shot if you like romance, fantasy, historical themes, supernatural, mystery.

Thank you to the publisher and Net galley for the ARC!

Why didn't I realize that this was more or less a Christmas story? As luck would have it, I began reading it around Christmas, so the mood was fitting.
Grimm Curiosities is a great cozy mystery, portal fantasy, folktale hybrid in a Victorian setting with a smidge of romance. Fisher's writing flows easily and her characters are likable (well, mostly). Lizzy is endearing and it's not difficult to be invested in her, her family, and the adventure at hand.
Thanks to NetGalley and 47North for the eARC!

Fisher’s meticulous research elevates the novel, with a glossary introducing York-specific terms like “ginnel” and “snicket” and an acknowledgments section citing key historical references. Her mastery of setting is equally impressive, rendering alleys, interiors, and fantastical landscapes with striking clarity. The vivid depictions of ghosts and folkloric figures, including the “printer’s devil,” further enhance the book’s atmospheric depth.

This was not at all what I expected, but I quite enjoyed it anyway.

It's a sweet and almost cosy read with a hint of lystery to keep things interesting. I loved the tidbits of folklore. To my biggest surprise, it's actually a great holiday read.

I think it could have been a five-star read if I hadn’t expected something way different, and I want to reread it sometime when I'm in the right mood to see if I'll enjoy it more. But if you want a cosy holiday read with hints of folklore and mystery, you should definitely check this out!

An immersive fairytale and portal fantasy that provides a fun adventure and a happily ever after conclusion.

This is a little thin on description and atmosphere, which was disappointing, but the story itself is solidly done. It’s a little tough to talk about York being “the most haunted place in England” and then give the reader little to no eerie atmosphere to set that scene. The curiosity shop too was a wonderful idea that doesn’t get the descriptive treatment that it deserves.

But the story is a fun fairytale interpretation, and it’s an excellent use of portal magic, which generally doesn’t work all that well. I liked the Christmas themes, especially with Krampus because he’s so delightfully creepy. And the fact that Krampus—despite his menace and role in Christmas tradition—isn’t the true villain of this story speaks to some clever writing and a well-structured plot.

There’s something about reading dark fairy tales around Christmas that tickles my fancy. I’m glad I waited till Christmas Eve to read this one. The romance was very cute.

I received an advanced copy of Grimm Curiosities from Netgalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I always forget how much I enjoy historical romances until I read them and fall in love all over again. I don't know what it is about them, but something strikes my fancy, and I adore them. In fact, I don't think I've ever read one I didn't like, and Grimm Curiosities is no exception.

This story's gothic, spooky, and Christmas tones were an interesting mash-up. It was very well done and lent the atmosphere of a cozy Christmas mystery with a little bit of fantasy and the paranormal thrown in. I've never read a genre like this, but I will absolutely be on the lookout for more books like this because it was a treat. It had a little bit of a lot of things I love, and nothing felt so overpowering that it took away from any other aspects. Everything was very well balanced.

My one complaint is that I would have liked more of everything—more of the atmosphere, more of the setting, more of the characters. Despite how much I liked it, everything did feel a little underdeveloped, and it all moved very quickly. Sometimes, there were some leaps made that I couldn't follow, and I would have liked more information about what was going on. To me, part of what makes a great mystery is, as the reader, being able to figure out some things before the characters, whether right or wrong. However, in Grimm Curiosities, there was a specific path the author wanted us to follow. I didn't feel like I could make any logical conclusions on my own because I didn't understand what the information the characters were getting meant. Maybe that's just me being nitpicky, though.

On a more positive note, I liked Lizzy as a character. Though we didn't see much character growth, she was steadfast in her beliefs. All she wanted was to keep her father's shop running and figure out how to help her mother, and every decision she made furthered those goals. There wasn't a time when I needed clarification about what she did or said because everything fit with her character. I appreciated that about her.

Anyone who's a fan of cozy historical mysteries should give Grimm Curiosities a try.

I usually really enjoy SLF's books but this one fell a little flat. May be a more me problem than the book though.

I absolutely loved this book. This book is like two of my favorite books put together. One book is Narnia and the other is any type of ghost story. It has some action towards the end and it makes the.story at the end so much more beautiful. It is a love.story mixed in with a little of this and that. Beautifully written and this book lets your imagination run wild. This book is a must read and I am sure you will love it as I did. I would love to read more from this author.

I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review

This was an excellent book and a very easy read, it felt in many ways like a cozy mystery more than a gothic fantasy. I enjoyed the main character and her shop of curios, and the trail of clues and secrets that unfolds around her. Well written and good pacing.

The setting is gold! I loved the book and it was very creepy but still beautiful. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A creepy, wintry tale that is both riveting and endearing--the perfect cozy read to compliment a warm beverage on a chilly weekend.

I LOVED this story. Where to begin? Firstly, I devoured it. The setting of 1800s York is well researched and descriptive. Fisher even included a York terms reference guide in the which I adored and helped me know what a ginnel was, among other Yorkish words.

Fisher weaves the tale of a modern woman caring for her invalid mother by running a Curiosities shop in a city steeped in centuries of history. What's not to love? When a young Baron shows up wanting to speak to her mother about a ghost, shenanigans ensue.

I loved the relationship between Lizzy and Antony. It developed so naturally. THIS is a romantasy where the romance is inseparable from the plot. I've read too many "romantasies" where one could separate the two without any hindrance to one or the other. Grimm Curiosities is not like that. The romance and plot develop together and build on one another to further the narrative to its satisfying conclusion, and I really really enjoyed it. Edge of my seat slow burn. It's *chef's kiss*.

Fisher also weaves in old Christmas folktales and ghosts with a villain and a sinister mystery surrounding a set of books and two hauntings.

I'm in awe of how Fisher blended all of these themes together into a seamless, edge of my seat plot. The writing is so so good.

This book is perfect for readers seeking a Halloween OR Christmas story, with plenty of creepy/snowy vibes to enjoy curled up in a blankie with a brew of your favorite warm beverage.

Grimm Curiosities by Sharon Lynn Fisher is a historical supernatural Christmas romantasy set in mid-nineteenth century York, England. After her father's sudden passing from diabetes complications and her mother falling catatonic after a seance, young Lizzy Grimm runs the family curio store on her own. As Lizzy struggles to make ends meet and repay her family's mounting debts, she encounters two men who will change her life forever: Ambrose Stoke, who has a strangely intense interest in some mysterious old books in the shop, and Antony Carlisle, a lord-to-be whose younger sister bears an uncanny resemblance to the condition of Lizzy's mother. in this novel that is part ghost story, part mystery, and has a generous helping of romance, Lizzy must save her family, her livelihood, and her heart's desire, all before Christmas. Really, with all that going on, what's a girl to do?

First, a note: Despite the title, the novel has no connection to the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, except for the fact that Lizzy's paternal relatives originally hail from Bavaria. The book actually draws upon Yule lore, perfect for a supernatural Christmas/Yuletide read.

Something I very much enjoyed about the book is Fisher's use of location-specific terminology. Research is very important to Fisher, and she includes both a glossary at the beginning of the book to introduce York-specific vocabulary (ex. 'ginnel' and 'snicket'), as well as a list of research references in the acknowledgements for readers who want to learn more about York and its fascinating history. Similarly, Fisher is very good at creating a sense of place. The descriptions of alleys, interior spaces, and fantastical landscapes are easily imagined from her writing, and remain the best-remembered aspects of the novel, along with the visual descriptions of ghosts and folkloric creatures, such as the mythological 'printer's devil.'

That said, it would have been nice to explore the mythology and world-building further, especially given the importance of the mysterious books and their connection to folklore and the supernatural. Frankly, the books, the ghosts, and the mystery elements were a lot more interesting to me than the romance; I have no complaints about the slow burn or the PG spice levels, but until almost the end of the book, the chapters told from Antony's POV felt a bit unnecessary--that page space could have been used to explore the Sight, for example. The pacing is also fairly slow in the beginning, but picks up once Croft & Croft is introduced. (Charlie Croft is one of my personal favorite characters in this novel. It would have been nice to see Charlie play a larger role... Perhaps if Fisher makes this into a series, there can be a book about Charlie next?)

In short, this book has interesting ideas, though the delivery could use a bit of restructuring. Those who enjoy C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, Holly Black and Sarah Rees Brennan's tales of the fae, Jane Austen's literary works, The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan, and/or Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh may also enjoy this novel.